


when two fools be falling in love

by NoBloodNoCookie



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, a compilation of kissing prompts, a lot of it hopefully, who knows where my mind will go with a new prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-06-25 01:54:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19735990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoBloodNoCookie/pseuds/NoBloodNoCookie
Summary: The devastating "we can't do this" kiss. A hello kiss that tastes like the beginning of the rest of their lives. A long, relentless "I missed you" kiss that drives Lizzie insane. The breathless, desperate kiss that murmurs "I thought I lost you and I almost burnt the world down" as the rest of the world fades away. The epic rain kiss they deserve.Or, a collection of Posie kissing prompts I've received on twitter for International Kissing Day.





	1. the "we can't do this" kiss

**Author's Note:**

> The "we can't do this" kiss: Fists clenched, hands shoved into pockets. Brows low or brought together, jaws clenched. A feeling like a magnetic pull between them. Their foreheads pressed together, their lips brush, just barely, until Penelope pulls away with a shaking exhale, forehead dropping into Josie’s neck.
> 
> Thanks Katie for giving me this prompt and enabling my recent penchant for turning everything into angst. What can I say? The Posie depression hits hards, man. 
> 
> Quick shout out to Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars for coming back to me soon and inspiring a portion of this chapter. Gotta love LoVe forever, right?

As it always does when it comes to them, it starts with Josie catching Penelope's eye in a crowded room. 

And just as she knew would happen, the moment their gazes meet, the sounds of a hundred rowdy, high school graduates enjoying their last night together disappear. She can't feel Hope and Lizzie's comforting arms around her shoulders anymore. She's no longer shivering from the cold evening air, instead there's a warmth spreading through her veins. 

Nothing else can hold her attention now.

Nothing compares to the way Penelope is looking at her. 

Penelope's longing gaze is the only thing that matters, it is the axis Josie's world revolves on.

Josie’s lips inevitably turn up into a sad smile as she waves, continuing to stare at the girl she loves so unabashedly, completely, with everything she was and everything she will ever be. 

Penelope’s shoulders drop at the sight, she fixes Josie a firm, bone chilling glare and turns away, talking to MG as though nothing happened. 

_Okay_ , Josie thinks, even as her heart crumbles in her chest for the millionth time that month, _she deserved that_. 

“You okay?” Hope murmurs, eyes concerned and voice comforting, noticing their interaction. 

“Nope. Not even in the slightest,” Josie answers simply, not looking away from Penelope even as she drains the disgusting beer in her red, plastic cup. 

—

Josie spends the next hour talking to kids she normally wouldn’t if it wasn’t their last night together. Listens to their plans for college, some even tell her about how their significant other is joining them because they see the same future. A future together.

(It's a privilege Josie can’t allow herself to have.)

Of course she doesn’t have much to tell them in return. A part time job at the Mystic Grille and trying to break an ancient, archaic curse that will kill her or her twin sister by the time they turn twenty two is nothing to write home about. 

A vampire nearby shouts that they’ve run out of ice and Josie happily volunteers to head to the kitchen to get some. 

She needed a moment away from the hopefulness in the air of this party anyway. 

Ignoring the green eyed gaze she feels on her, she trudges up the walkway to the house. 

Josie's filling water in the ice trays in the dimly lit kitchen, back to the door when she hears it creak open. 

"Hey Jojo." 

She drops the tray and it clatters loudly in the sink, spraying the front of her shirt but both of them pay it no mind. 

"What are you doing here?" Josie asks, turning around finally.

"Getting ice," Penelope says nonchalantly, but makes no movement to actually get any ice, standing firmly in the middle of the kitchen, hands on her hips and eyes focused on Josie. 

"Me too," Josie replies lamely, not knowing what else to say. 

What do you say to the girl you dumped, despite knowing you'd love her for the rest of your life? The girl you dumped _because_ you'd love her for the rest of your life even.

"I know." Penelope stares at her for a little longer, face hard and fidgeting with her fingers, before admitting in a whisper, "I miss you." 

Josie's breath catches. "I miss you too." 

Penelope's face softens, lips twitching into a smile like she couldn't help it. "You do?"

"How could I not," Josie wonders out loud, shrugging a shoulder. The words slip from her mouth without much thought - powerless at the sight of Penelope's smile, no matter how slight or sad it might have been. 

_How could I not_ , Josie thinks, _when being away from you feels like someone cut a hole in my heart?_

Mother fucker.

This is exactly what she wasn't supposed to do. Penelope gets her alone for a minute and already she's got Josie undoing all the impossibly hard work she's put into staying as far away from this girl as possible within the last month.

Penelope takes a few steps forward and pauses within touching distance from Josie, face unsure. 

Josie so badly wants to close the distance between them. To reach forward and pull Penelope into her arms, to tangle her fingers in soft, raven hair, to kiss her and never, ever let her go again. 

But she can't and she's already slipped twice in this conversation, so she takes a deep breath, clenches her fists to keep from reaching out and tries to look unaffected. As unaffected as she could be with Penelope Park so close to her. Josie was only human, after all. 

"Jo," Penelope croons in a tone that she knows is irresistible to Josie. She wasn't playing fair _at all_. "Don't do this, please. It isn't too late, you can still come with me." 

"I can't, Pen. We talked about this-" 

Penelope scoffs. "I don't think you dumping me out of nowhere constitutes as 'talking about it,' Josette." 

Josie feels the frustration rise again. Penelope was making this much harder than it needed to be. "What, I'm cursed to die and I won't let you put your life on hold to watch that happen, wasn't a good enough explanation for me dumping you?" 

Tears prick at Penelope's eyes at those words and wow, Josie really fucking hates herself. "I won't let you die. I won't allow it." 

Josie laughs. It’s hard, flat and devoid of any humor. "It isn't in our control, Pen. I won't let you waste four years of your life trying to stop the inevitable. Not when it'll all be in vain. I won't allow it," she parrots Penelope's words back to her. 

"So what, you're prepared to just die then? You're not even going to fight or give yourself a chance to survive?" Penelope looks downright murderous now. 

"No, I'm not. Not when it comes at the cost of killing my fucking twin, no." 

"And you think Lizzie would be okay with that? You think I'm going to be okay with that?" 

"Well it's a good thing it isn't either of your choice to make now, is it?" 

Penelope's speechless, stares at her with a mix of horror and frustration. But she's desperate and shaken in a way that Josie's never seen her, that much is clear. She really wants her to walk away. Josie _needs_ her to walk away, to move on, to forget about her. 

Even though just the thought of it feels like it’s tearing Josie into a million pieces, she needs Penelope to _let go_. 

Penelope sighs, rubs the bridge of her nose and takes a new approach. "Fine, so you've decided that you're giving up. That you're okay with your life having a fucking limit on it," she sounds utterly broken. "So let me be there with you. Let me make you happy. Every day. Forever. However long our forever may be." 

"No, absolutely not!" Josie growls out. "I won't let you waste any more time on me just so we can pretend to have some deluded, trial version of our happily ever after that will only ever end one way." 

"How can you say that, Josie? How can you ever think that any time I spend with you is a waste? Isn’t it my choice to make?" 

"If I die- no _when_ I die, it will break you and we both know this. I'm not going to be the reason you won’t have a happy, normal life. I won't. And _that_ is my choice to make." 

Penelope's lips thin. She crosses her arms, huffing disbelievingly like she can't fathom what she's hearing. "I don't know what to say to you anymore, except that I love you. And that you're worth any risk for me. I would do anything, anything without a question, for a chance at a future with you. I can't believe you don't feel the same." Her voice breaks three times in that last sentence and it moves Josie so much that her arms are reaching out to Penelope like they have a mind of their own. 

She cups Penelope's face gently. Josie knows her hands will never hold anything more precious. "Do you really believe that?" 

"What else do you want me to believe when you're tossing me aside like I mean nothing?" 

Josie lets out a deep sigh. She knows she shouldn’t say anything but she can’t let Penelope think she doesn’t matter. Not when she means _everything._

So she tells Penelope just how much she means to her. 

One last time. 

"Don't you think I want the same future you do, Pen?" She asks, softly caressing Penelope's face. "Don't you think that all I want to do is to get on that plane to Boston with you? I picture it every night. The dumb arguments we'll have about the furniture we'll get. The ridiculous amount of plants I'll have to stop you from buying. The cat that you'd eventually cave and get me. The professors we'll curse as we stay up past midnight finishing ridiculous amount of schoolwork. And no matter what I picture, whatever we’re doing, I see us madly in love doing it." 

They're both openly crying at this point. Penelope wraps her arms around Josie's neck and pulls her as close as possible.

"It's embarrassing," Josie admits, letting out a sound that's somehow both a laugh and a sob. "Seeing as we're only eighteen, but I even thought of the small wedding we'd have." 

She didn't think it was possible, but Penelope looks even more devastated. She still smiles at the idea of their wedding, anyway. "We definitely eloped because Lizzie was driving you crazy with the planning, right?

Josie chortles this time, nodding. "We both would look amazing in our dresses." 

"You more than me because white is definitely your color, Jo." 

"Shut up," Josie says, shaking her head. "You'd look absolutely breathtaking. Heart-stopping, even. We'd still take Lizzie and Hope along with us because Lizzie would never forgive me if I didn't." 

"And Hope would definitely complain about the bridesmaid dress I picked out for her," Penelope adds. "But they'd both be so ecstatic just to be there." 

"We would be the happiest we've ever been and I would be just as terribly, hopelessly and stupidly in love with you as I've always been." 

Penelope sighs at that and gently knocks her forehead against Josie's. "We can still have that. I promise. Please, just give me a chance to give you all of those things. I want everything you just said too. So fight for us. Please. I love you. I love you with all of my heart, Josie. Please stay. You want to stay, don’t you? You want me. You want us. You want this." 

She moves even closer, so close that Josie can feel her breath on her lips. Josie's eyes shut on their own accord. It would be the easiest thing in the world to move that final inch, to feel Penelope's jaw unclench as she relaxes into the kiss. To feel her lips against her own. 

There's a feeling like a magnetic pull that buzzes between them, urging both of them to get close close closer. Josie thinks it will never really go away. 

"We can't do this," Josie murmurs, when Penelope's wonderful lips brush against hers, almost feather like. "I can't do this, Pen. It’s killing me to walk away already, please don’t make this any harder for me. Please." 

Penelope doesn't move for a second and just as Josie's self control wavers, just as she thinks about giving in, she pulls away. Penelope pulls away with a shaky exhale and drops her forehead into the crook of Josie's neck. Her hands ball up into fists at Josie’s sides and she sniffles, lightly rubbing her nose against Josie’s neck. 

Josie gives herself an extra minute of having her girl in her arms before she pulls back, a bittersweet smile lingering as she lets go of Penelope for the last time ever in her mind. "You will have it all, I promise. Just because I can't, doesn't mean someone else won't give you everything you've ever wanted." 

Penelope blinks, a tear streaming down her face. She stares at Josie like she's the stupidest person she's ever met. " _You_ are everything I've ever wanted. When are you going to get that? How will anyone ever compare after you?" 

Josie is just so tired. "Penelope please, I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have. I think we can take a tough, but survivable amount of pain now or stay together and deal with unbearable pain later. And since I won’t be around for later, I vote for the survivable pain now. It’s my turn to do something for you for once. Let me put you first. This is me putting you first.”

“A survivable amount of pain?” Penelope scoffs, wiping her tears away. “This is what that looks like?” 

“You have no idea how sorry I am for doing this to you and I wish more than anything in the world that things were different.” 

“But they aren’t.” Josie can’t hold Penelope’s steady gaze, staring at her like she was memorizing her. That’s all was left to do at this point: to memorize the other because haunted memories were all they had. 

“But they aren’t,” Josie repeats sadly and she reaches down for the final time and plants a lingering kiss on Penelope’s cheek, much closer to the lips than was strictly necessary. Pulling away is definitely the hardest thing Josie’s ever done, but somehow she gathers the strength to do it, heart aching at the way Penelope’s head moves, chasing her lips. “Goodbye, Penelope.” 

She pulls herself together and marches out of the kitchen, not looking back at all. She doesn’t look back when she hears the sob behind her. Not even when she hears the “don’t leave me.” Not when a small thud resonates around the empty corridor, indicating that Penelope’s probably crumpled on the kitchen floor.

Josie marches out of the kitchen, but she leaves her heart behind.


	2. the "after sex" kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The after sex kisses: Lazy, slow presses. Limbs pressed together, chests heaving. Soft murmurs about what to do for dinner later, fingers trailing down backs, tracing lazy patterns. Josie rolling onto her back and Penelope trailing her lips down Josie's neck, kissing her shoulder, her chest, anywhere she can think of, memorizing Josie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks Avari for giving this prompt and kick starting this whole collection in the first place! I don't know if it turned out the way you wanted it to, but hopefully you enjoy it either way?

_If the world were ending_ , Josie muses absentmindedly as she makes her way back up Penelope’s slightly sweaty, naked body and gently presses their lips together, _all she would want to do was to kiss Penelope._

Penelope untangles their hands that had been tightly intertwined up until now and slowly moves her own up Josie’s arm, setting her skin ablaze, caressing her shoulder before lightly grabbing the back of Josie's neck, deepening their kiss as her other hand rests on the curve of Josie’s jaw. 

They’re happy to just kiss for a few moments, lazy lips moving slowly, content to just bask in each other’s presence, Josie drawing patterns on Penelope’s stomach with the hand that was trapped between both of their bodies, the other lost in raven hair before tangling their legs together. 

Josie pulls away with an adoring kiss to the tip of Penelope’s nose when she feels Penelope’s lips curve up so much that it was simply impossible to keep kissing. “Hi,” she murmurs breathlessly, grinning down at her girl. 

“I feel obligated to thank you for whatever it is you just did to me,” Penelope returns, sounding equally breathless, her chest still heaving.

Josie frowns playfully, tilting her head to one side. “Thank me for what? Are you keeping count again? Because if you are, I have to tell you, you will not win tonight.” 

“But baby -” Penelope rolls her eyes a little before flipping Josie onto her back. “-you’ve already made sure,” she whispers lightly, punctuating each word by pressing trembling kisses to the column of Josie’s beautiful throat where bruises were already starting to appear, hands now lightly stroking the sides of Josie’s torso, “that I’ve already won tonight. Multiple times” 

Josie laughs - a low, throaty, delicious sound that sends sparks down Penelope’s spine. It’s so precious that Penelope just _has_ to drop butterflies kisses wherever she can - to Josie’s nose, her cheeks, her forehead, before moving south to her neck, collar bones and chest. 

Josie intertwines her left hand with Penelope’s right that was lightly resting over her heart and brings it to her mouth, kissing the back of it. “This is how I know I must’ve really blown your mind because that was just _so_ weak, Penelope Park.” 

Penelope pulls her lips away from Josie’s neck, not before lightly biting the soft skin there for that jab. The little dissatisfied sound Josie makes when there’s space between them and the way her right hand tightens on the small of her back widens Penelope’s smile into a simper. Josie just made it _so_ easy. “So weak just for you, babe.” 

Josie actually giggles this time, that high pitched, dumb school girl giggle she giggled when she was truly happy. The one that made her eyes shut in a way that always got Penelope’s heart racing and god, did Penelope love the way it exposed that adorable gap between her teeth. She cups Penelope’s face with her free hand, tracing the outline of her cheek, eyes still not completely wide open. “You’re an idiot,” she declares. “And I love you.” 

There’s so much Penelope wants to say in that moment but she simply asks, “even if we’ve just established that you’ve made me much,” she kinks an eyebrow suggestively, “ _happier_ tonight than I’ve made you?” 

Josie drops a lingering kiss to her jaw. “Even then.” 

“In that case,” Penelope hums, settling back into the crook of Josie’s neck and plays with a strand of beautiful brunette hair as Josie traces lazy hearts along the small of Penelope’s back, “I’ll just have to make it up to you tomorrow then.” 

  
They both stiffen for a moment at the reminder of _tomorrow,_ but Josie recovers first, wrapping her arms around Penelope and kissing the crown of her head. “Sounds like a truly wonderful plan.” 

“Josie, I think we should-.” 

“Pen,” Josie warns gently, “you promised,” 

“Okay,” Penelope concedes weakly, helpless to deny Josie anything. She looks away, unable to look at Josie without feeling the urge to burst into tears and when she spots the alarm on their nightstand, the dull red numbers that read 11:28 PM do nothing to improve her mood. 

Josie must realize that because soon she’s getting dressed and dragging Penelope out of bed and into their kitchen with the promise of ice cream sundaes.

\-- 

Penelope’s pulling out everything they’d possibly need for the sundaes while Josie indulges Darth in a little almost midnight treat. 

“We’re almost out of his wet food,” Josie notes, as she puts away his salmon TenderSticks in the pantry and lifts herself onto the kitchen island. 

Penelope scoffs, head still stuck in the refrigerator, rummaging for the fudge she had stashed away somewhere. “That’s because you insist on feeding him every time he gives you sad eyes. Every. Single. Time.” 

“He’s a growing boy, Penelope, he needs his food,” Josie insists, grinning as she watches Darth leap from the ground, onto the island chair, then the counter before settling in her lap, purring contentedly. 

“Exercise is what the little con master needs,” Penelope argues, turning around after letting out a small triumphant little yelp when she finally finds the fudge in their cluttered fridge. 

“We’re going to ignore the fat-shamer, won’t we Darth, my baby?” Josie mumbles, picking him up like she would a child and nuzzling their noses together. “She’s just jealous she’ll never be as pretty as you.” 

Darth lets out a small yowl, clearly agreeing with Josie. 

“Add it to our grocery list, won’t you? We have to go this weekend anyway,” Josie tells Penelope, not looking up from petting Darth until Penelope’s breath hitches audibly. 

“This weekend?” Penelope scoffs, pausing midway through scooping her ice cream, glaring at her, but something in Josie’s face must stop her from speaking her mind and instead she nods. “Yep, we’re going grocery shopping this weekend. You and I both. Together. I will pencil it into my calendar and you know how much I hate changing my plans,” Penelope says and Josie nods, determined. 

The air around them is tense until Penelope plasters a slightly forced smile on her face. “Also, I hope grocery shopping doesn’t mean waltzing through Trader Joe’s and ‘getting lost’ in the frozen foods aisle forever while I’m forced to buy everything else.”

Josie’s just glad Penelope’s playing along. “Do I have to remind you of that very shameful time I caught you stuffing your face with _my_ very off limits frozen shumai that you made fun of me for buying? At one AM that too? Because I will.” 

_That_ wipes that teasing smirk off of Penelope’s face pretty quickly. “I just wasn’t expecting it to taste that good, okay? It doesn’t sound realistic. It’s frozen _vegetarian shumai._ Logically, there’s no way it should taste like anything other than trash.” 

“You hear that, baby?” Josie coos, looking down at Darth again. “ _You_ know which of your moms is always right, don’t you?”

Penelope huffs exasperatedly as Darth just purrs, clearly noncommittal, in response and burrows himself further into Josie’s lap, not wanting to get involved in his parents’ quarrel.

\--

They go back to bed again, once Josie finishes her sundae and steals at least a quarter of Penelope’s too. This time they’re dressed in their pajamas, Darth curled up near their feet, alert with the knowledge that things would have to remain PG now that their child was in bed with them.

“How was it that you promised me sundaes but I was the one that ended up making you one?” Penelope wonders out loud as if just realizing she’d been scammed, lightly nudging Josie as they’re cuddled together. 

Josie snickers. “You’re just that whipped, I can’t help you with that.” 

“Just for that, see if I’ll let you warm your feet against mine tonight,” Penelope threatens, rolling on her side away from Josie and putting some distance between them. 

“No, no, I’m sorry, come back.” Josie laughs, grabbing Penelope’s midsection and pulling her closer again. “You know I wouldn’t survive without your warmth in my life.” The statement is cheesy and dramatic, said because Josie knows it would make Penelope laugh. When it doesn’t, when Penelope turns as stiff as a statue in her arms, still facing away from Josie, she asks, “babe, what’s wrong?” 

Penelope turns around in one abrupt moment and pulls Josie into a crushing hug against her chest. “Happy twenty second birthday, Jojo,” she murmurs shakily into Josie’s ear and Josie spots their clock that reads 12:03 AM over Penelope’s shoulder. “I love you and I will forever.”

_Fuck._

There’s _so_ much Josie wants to say, wants to thank Penelope for going along with her dumb plan to pretend like this was any other day, wants to assure her that no matter what happens Josie will always love her forever too, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been said before. It’s nothing Penelope doesn’t already know. So she whispers a request for the only thing she wants right now. “Kiss me?”

Penelope pulls Josie impossibly close and fulfills her wish, trying to commit the way their lips moved together to memory and praying that she will never, ever forget the way this made her feel. 

_Her entire world was ending,_ Penelope thinks equal parts helpless, bitter and fucking terrified, _and all she could do was kiss Josie._


	3. the "hello" kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hello kiss: fingers pressing into cheeks, palms cupping necks, and breathless laughs when they finally come up for air.
> 
> Thanks to Madison for requesting this! This has also been published as a separate one-shot, but I still wanted it to belong to this collection anyway. I hope you enjoy reading it if you haven't already.

Penelope doesn’t mean to find it. 

She doesn’t. 

But she was starving and ran out of peanut butter in the middle of making herself a peanut butter and honey sandwich as she waited for Josie to come home from work so they could go over to Hope and Landon’s for game night. 

Out of peanut butter and cursing herself for not going grocery shopping last week as she planned to, she looked around the kitchen trying to find something else to eat but remembered that they did usually keep the extra jams in that one cabinet that Penelope couldn’t reach. 

Dragging the small wooden stool from the living room to the cabinet, she missed her girlfriend’s long limbs in that moment. Not only were those legs pure works of art and those arms wonderful at holding her but combined, they were also super useful to get to places that were typically hard to reach for Penelope. 

There was an innuendo in that sentence somewhere, but she was far too hungry to look for it. 

The relief she feels at finding a jar of crunchy peanut butter (yes, she was a fan of crunchy peanut butter. And yes, Josie constantly made fun of her for it, so what?) in the back of the cabinet fades to nothing when she spots _it._

Wedged between jars of crunchy peanut butter and Habanero pepper sauce was a black, tiny little velvet box. 

The kind of box one would typically use to store something small and valuable like, say, an engagement ring. 

She couldn’t resist reaching out to grab it, but something prevents her from popping the lid.

Fuck. 

Josie bought an engagement ring.

Not to sound too cocky, but Penelope felt that she was right to assume it was for her. 

For Penelope Park.

Like _herself._

It’s only logical to conclude that the only person Josie would ask to marry was Penelope herself. 

You know, Penelope: the girl Josie was in love for the last ten years of her life, the person she’d been in a stable, committed relationship with for the last five years, where they’d even been living together for four of those. 

Right?

No, of course, there wouldn’t be anybody else. 

Josie was in love with her. 

If there was one thing about the world that Penelope knew with certainty, it was that Josie would always love her, the same way she would always love Josie. 

That much would always be undeniable. 

So this ring _better_ be for her. 

She felt silly about her moment of self-doubt now looking back and quickly chose to move on from that madness. 

Fuck. 

Josie bought an engagement ring. 

For Penelope. 

Josie bought an engagement ring for Penelope.

Because Josie wanted to propose to Penelope. 

Josie wanted to marry _her_. 

She couldn’t bring herself to pop the lid and look at the actual ring. She didn’t know if she would ever stop crying if she did that. 

Quickly wiping the few stray tears that had escaped already, she considers her options. Should she tell Josie that she found it? Would that ruin whatever Josie had planned? Penelope didn’t want that. 

Just as she decides to put it away, the front door opens with no warning - why, oh why did she always forget to lock the darn thing - bringing Josie in. 

“When will you learn to lock the -“ She stiffens as she looks up from kicking her shoes off and takes in the scene before her, zeroing in on the box in Penelope’s hands. _“Oh.”_

“Hi.” Penelope doesn’t know what to say to her. “Welcome home?” 

Josie’s silent for a second and Penelope shifts awkwardly, still standing on the stool, one hand clinging to the cabinet door for balance and the other tightly clutching the ring box. 

“Why are you-” Josie anxiously pulls at her ear. “Uh, don’t you usually need me to get stuff out of there? You never have the patience to get the stool.” 

“I ran out of peanut butter.” 

“Of course.” Josie nods absently. “You would do anything for crunchy peanut butter.” Her eyebrows tighten as she frowns. “I should have thought of that.” 

“No, no, it’s a really good hiding spot. I never open this cabinet. I was pretty surprised to find it.” 

Josie’s frown deepens. “Surprised? Did you really not see this coming?”

“More confused than surprised for a bit there. I wasn’t sure if this was.. meant for me,” Penelope mumbles the last three words, fully embarrassed to express her ridiculous panic.

Josie laughs, a little amused but more incredulous. “What? Who else would I want to be with for the rest of my life?” 

Penelope’s face burns. “I know. But I’m stupid sometimes, okay?” 

“Yes, I’m aware,” Josie replies fondly. “Still, you’ve gotten that little box out of me, so I’m probably just as stupid.” 

“Should I... put it back so we can pretend this never happened?” 

Josie immediately gives her a firm shake of the head and walks right up to Penelope. 

The little wooden stool gives Penelope an unusual height advantage and Josie’s the one who has to look up to meet Penelope’s eyes for once. 

“I don’t want to pretend like you don’t know that I want to marry you, Penelope Park,” Josie says with her smoothest, most firm voice and Penelope absolutely adores the way confidence looks on her.

Penelope nods, still not completely believing that this - this was really, truly happening to her. 

“Okay,” she whispers, grinning down at Josie as she wraps her arms around Penelope’s torso. “Hi. Hello. I’m glad you’re home.” 

“Hi. Hello,” Josie cheekily parrots back, making Penelope laugh. “It’s wonderful to be home.” 

Josie tightens her arms around Penelope to let her know that when she talked about _home,_ it wasn’t the apartment that Josie was referring to. 

Penelope leans down to kiss Josie because that’s all she wants in the moment. It starts as a simple ‘hello, I missed you, thanks for coming back to me’ kiss. Josie’s right hand slowly moves away from Penelope’s waist and she tangles her fingers with those on Penelope’s left hand, thumb lightly caressing the bare (for now) ring finger. 

Penelope smiles into the kiss, heart feeling like it might burst out of her chest at the tenderness of that gesture. She cups Josie’s neck, pulling away to murmur a soft ‘I love you’ against her lips. Her smile doesn’t stop growing when Josie quickly returns sentiment and soon it’s impossible for them to keep kissing. 

Josie tilts her head away from the kiss but rests her forehead against Penelope’s, chest heaving with breathless laughter. 

“Not that your smile isn’t the most beautiful thing in my world,” she huffs out casually, raising their intertwined hands to drop a soft kiss to the back of Penelope’s hand, “but can you stop? I’m trying really hard to kiss you.” 

“Sorry, I’ll get it together this time.” Penelope can’t help herself from grinning at the playful pout Josie’s very impressively managing to keep. She makes a ‘come hither’ action with her index finger, eager to kiss her girl again. “Come back to me.” 

“I always have and always will, I promise,” Josie vows, her left hand gently pressing into Penelope’s cheek, maneuvering her closer.

With that declaration lingering between them, when Josie kisses her again, it feels like the beginning of the rest of her life. 

The thought produces a rush of joy so great that she doesn’t even realize that she’s beaming again until Josie moves away with a slight groan. 

“Fine,” she whines, rolling her eyes. “Be unhelpful. I don’t need you, I will do all the work.”

“For once,” Penelope adds, her smile tugging up into a smirk. 

Josie rolls her eyes at the jab and proceeds to pointedly kiss every inch of Penelope’s face she can reach - the tip of her nose, her forehead, her eyelids, the curve of her jaw. Josie’s smile increases with each kiss and soon both of them burst out laughing - _happy_ and so stupidly in love. 

That is until Josie moves away abruptly, as though something very important has just occurred to her. “But maybe we should pretend this didn’t happen.” 

Penelope’s heart drops. “What? Why?”

Josie looks down at her feet, shoulders slumped. “I think that you deserve to have an epic, spectacle of a proposal. Not whatever this will be. I haven’t even written my speech yet.” 

Penelope scrunches her face in frustration at the dumb, beautiful, wonderful idiot in front of her. 

“Who’s being stupid now? Jojo,” she murmurs, cupping the side of Josie’s face, “you already know that my answer will be the same no matter how you ask.” 

Josie sinks further into Penelope’s palm. “I already told you I was just as stupid too.”

“Totally why we should be together.”

“Forever,” Josie adds. 

“Well. We could get started on that forever if you stopped stalling and just asked,” she says, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Right! Right, gonna get started once I-“ Josie looks down at herself like she was checking to see if she had everything she needed. She quickly realizes what was missing. “Give me the box, won’t you? Thanks. Have you looked at it yet?” 

“Couldn’t bring myself to do it.” 

Josie does a cute little fist pump. 

“Yes! Excellent. So, here goes.” She clears her throat and takes Penelope’s hand, smiling a little and eyes full of love. “Penelope Park, I-“ she abruptly pauses, frowning. “Do you mind getting off the stool? You having a height advantage is ridiculous, the world is not ready for a tall Penelope Park.” 

Penelope blinks, a surprised laugh escaping her at that because Josie was the most ridiculous person she had ever met. “Fine, let me get down before the power gets to my head.” She raises her arms, gesturing for Josie to help her down, just so they could be closer again. “But the air really is much better up here anyway.” 

Josie snorts as she lifts Penelope and gently puts her down on the floor. “That’s what I’ve been telling you for years.”

“You ready now? You sure you don’t need anything else? A sip of water, some coffee or a snack?” Penelope teases.

Josie’s eyes light up at that and Penelope’s already groaning in anticipation of what’s coming.

“The only snack I’ve ever needed was you, baby.” 

And there it was. 

Josie was such an embarrassment. 

But she was Penelope’s embarrassment and Penelope could definitely live with that.

Josie giggles at Penelope’s exasperation - irritating Penelope was her favorite past time after all - and moves on quickly. “I’m ready now, what about you?” 

“I’ve always been ready for you.”

Josie furrows her eyebrows, suddenly cautious. “Remember that you’re the eloquent romantic between the both of us and if this turns into me babbling-”

“I’ll still say yes. I’ll always say yes,” Penelope reassures her, pushing a stray strand of Josie’s hair behind her ear before lightly caressing her cheek. 

“Good to know,” Josie says weakly, before taking one last final, calming breath. 

Penelope gives her a slight, encouraging nod and Josie nods back. 

“Penelope Park,” Josie starts, voice reverent and eyes full of wonder. “Where do I even begin with you? I will never forget the moment I first saw you. Lizzie and I were supposed to give you a tour and you were talking to Hope by the fireplace. You both turned around when Lizzie said something snarky about Hope and I remember thinking-” Josie pauses theatrically and Penelope subconsciously leans in. “‘Wow, Hope looks incredible today.’”

Penelope tucks her chin, clearly taken aback and cackles before lightly whacking Josie’s shoulder. “Asshole.” 

Josie grins sheepishly, really proud of herself for that. “I’m sorry! If I knew in that moment that I was going to be doing this one day, I would have tried really hard to have more poetic first thoughts about you. But Hope said something in return and they both were going off but you - you did this cute head tilt and smiled at me like you only saw me-”

Penelope smiles the same smile Josie was talking about, the one that was reserved for only one specific person.

“And I didn’t know it at the time, but after that, I really didn’t want to look at anything else. Once I laid my eyes on _you_.” 

Penelope subtly wipes away at an escaped tear when Josie pauses to clear her throat, both of them trying to pull it together. 

“I, uh, lightly suggested to Lizzie that she should cool off from her fight with Hope because I so badly wanted to get you alone. And once I did,” Josie laughs, lost in the memory of their first one on one conversation. “My God, you were so annoying, obnoxious and funny when I didn’t want to laugh at your jokes and just.. _so_ hot?”

Penelope simpers at that, delighted. “I still am.”

“The hottest, babe. Obviously. But I mean to young Josie, you were so hot that it hurt her feelings. And I knew that I was going to fall in love with you. Whether I wanted to or not.” 

Penelope chuckles, remembering how Josie had avoided her like the plague in the beginning. How she would never want to sit with her at lunch or hang out or even talk to her. 

“And you really did not want to.”

“No, not at all. You terrified me. But once I realized I couldn’t stay away, that I couldn't stop thinking about you no matter what, falling in love with you was pretty much the easiest thing I’ve ever done. And when we were together, you, us, it was exactly what I would ask for - only if I knew myself well enough to know what to ask for in the first place.” 

Penelope can’t help the tiny whimper she lets out at that, tears escaping. 

“Oh, no. No baby, you can’t cry yet,” Josie says hoarsely, handing her a tissue from the box on the counter, pulling Penelope into a hug and tucking her under her chin. “If you start, I’ll inevitably join and we’ll never get to the engagement part.” 

Penelope pulls back a little, not completely leaving Josie’s arms, to look her in the eye as she apologizes, the words coming out in a strangled whisper. “I’m sorry. It’s just- if only my sixteen-year-old self who was on that stupid fucking flight to Belgium could hear you now.”

Josie sadly presses her lips to the top of Penelope’s cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage back then to admit to myself what I’ve always known in my heart. If I did, I would have never let you go.” 

Penelope shakes her head. “We needed the distance because we were both stupid and made mistakes.” 

“Some monumental, devastating ones,” Josie stresses. “But we’ve grown from them. We’ve learned,” Jose begins with a nostalgic smile, “that it’s okay for you to take care of you. To put yourself first. Admittedly, some of us took longer than the others for that one.” 

Penelope exhales shakily before adding her own two cents. “We now know that no matter how badly we want to, we can’t save the other or make decisions for them. We can only love them and support them as they fight their own battles.”

Josie nods. “And also to trust that if you just let her in, she will love you even in your worst moments, through the most horrible versions of yourself.” 

“She will,” Penelope declares with absolutely no uncertainty. 

“I know. She already has.” 

The air between them gets so heavy with the pain they’ve caused and the regrets they have it leaves Penelope scrambling to say the first thing that comes to mind in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

“We’ve also learned that dating Landon is a horrible idea.” 

Josie's eyes dance with mirth as she rolls with the direction Penelope’s chosen. “Ah yes, additionally we’ve gathered that sleeping with all the members of a European coven doesn’t always help you get over your ex.” 

Penelope scoffs, affronted at Josie’s inaccurate facts. “It was not… an _entire_ coven.” 

“Oh, this is a good one.” Josie’s grin is pure evil and Penelope already knows where this is going. “We know how to unhook a girl’s bra by ourselves.” 

How dare she? 

That only happened three times.

“It happened once, Josie, _once._ ” She argues, hoping Josie didn’t remember correctly. “I was fifteen and eager to impress, how long are you going to hold that over my head?”

“First of all, I distinctly remember you needing my help three times.” Goddammit. Why would she ever forget any piece of information she could use to torment Penelope? “And second, why am I bullying you when what I wanted to do was propose?” 

Penelope snorts. “I think you’re doing great. Why wouldn’t I want to put up with this harassment for the rest of my life?”

Josie smiles at that. “The world we live in is certifiably insane and we have no idea what each day will bring, but regardless of what they look like, I want to begin and end every single one of them with you. Any new and horrible thing that comes my way, I want to fight it with you by my side. On the rare good days, I want to make you laugh and try to cook for you - we both know I’ll end up ordering pizza after I inevitably burn everything - and make out on the couch with you under the pretense of watching a stupid movie. That’s all I want when I look at the rest of my life, Penelope. To love you.

“I love you,” Penelope whispers. “But maybe leave the cooking to me? Everyone in this building already hates us because of how often our smoke detector goes off. I promise I will love you the same even if you order a pizza right away. But other than that, I want everything you just said. Especially the making out on the couch parts.” 

Josie shakes her head fondly, exasperated by how irritating Penelope was even in the midst of their engagement, but she must already know what she signed up for because she still continues anyway. 

“I’m glad you feel the same because what I’m about to do next would be really embarrassing if you didn’t.”

Josie quickly gets down on one knee and takes Penelope’s left hand in her right. 

Penelope’s heart skips a beat at the sight. She inched closer to Josie, holding her breath and trying her hardest to commit everything about this moment to her memory for as long as she lived.

She never wanted to forget the shade of the yellow cardigan Josie was wearing over a white shirt that originally belonged to Penelope. Or the way the right side of that shirt was peeking out of the blue, high-waist jeans Josie had tucked it into this morning. 

“Penelope, you are the greatest source of my joy, the love of my life and if anyone needed to be convinced that soulmates were real, they would look at us and accept the notion without a second thought.” 

Penelope wouldn’t forget every word she said or the slight waver in Josie’s voice as she said them or her shaky inhale before she continued either. 

“There’s so much more I could say about how much I love you or how you’ve been the one person who’s known exactly who I was - even when I didn’t - and loved me anyway and I could try to badly explain how happy you make me, but I’ve already said so much and I just want you to be wearing this ring right now, so I’m just going to go ahead and ask, okay?

Penelope just nods, tears in her eyes, certain that she couldn’t use her voice yet. Josie fumbles to pop open the lid of the box with just one hand, her other hand holding Penelope’s who refused to let go and it cracks Penelope up, even in her current state.

She would never forget how much of a dweeb Josie truly was.

“Wait just one second- almost got it, nope. Hang on, ah, yes there we go! All good.” Josie’s sigh is one of relief. She brings the box into Penelope’s line of sight and what she sees makes Penelope want to cry all over again. 

Nestled in that velvet box was a very familiar diamond ring. Caroline’s ring. The one she never took off because it was the greatest reminder of the love she shared with Stefan Salvatore. Knowing Josie’s mother - Penelope’s personal favorite out of Josie’s parents, not that there was much competition - approved and that she loved them and their relationship enough to give them this… It meant _everything._

Josie coughs once, pulls the ring out, tosses the box on the floor and looks up at Penelope with nothing but love in her stunning brown eyes. 

“Penelope Park, will you marry me?”

Penelope takes a moment to process those words, to let them sink in, to appreciate the heartache it had taken for her to hear these words and Josie seems to understand as she waits with a brilliantly patient smile. 

This feels like the moment she’s been waiting for her entire life so when she speaks, the words ring out firm and clear, full of the certainty she’s always felt about her love for this woman and there’s no indication of the way her heart feels like it might beat out of her chest. 

“I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen, Josie Saltzman and I don’t plan on knowing any other way of living.” 

Josie’s ecstatic grin is blinding, as she gently slides the ring up Penelope’s left finger, where it will stay until she took her dying breath if Penelope (and Josie) had anything to say about it. 

“So like, that’s a yes, right? Cause I’ve already given you the ring and it would be weird take it back now.”

Penelope laughs, tears flowing freely now as she gets down on her knees, mirroring her _fiance's_ position, to pull Josie into their first kiss as an engaged couple. 

“Yes,” she whispers against Josie’s lips a minute later, when they separate to catch their breath, Penelope’s forehead resting against Josie’s. “Yes, I will marry you.” Josie shoots her a dazed smile. “I thought I was clear the first time I-”

Josie brings their lips together again in a breathless kiss, effectively any further stopping conversation and Penelope agreed.

There had been far too much talking when they should've been doing this instead because the one thing Penelope will _always_ remember is the way kissing Josie made her feel. 

— 

“Why are we kissing on our knees when we could be doing this standing or on the couch or in our very big, very comfortable bed?”

“I saw you kneeling and I thought since we’re going to be married now, we have to support each other no matter what and so if you kneel, I kneel.” 

“Yeah, no, that doesn’t bode too well for our sex life.”

_“Oh my God, shut up.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm having a blast writing these prompts. We all need more Posie kisses in our lives anyway. Drop a comment, did I make you cry? Do you hate me a little? Do you love me more than you hate me? Come yell at me on twitter @dammnvers. 
> 
> Also please feel free to leave MORE kissing prompts either in the comments here or take a look at some prompts I have available at https://twitter.com/dammnvers/status/1147583734033657858 and let me know if there's something in particular you'd like to see! 
> 
> The next chapter to come soon!


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